Camel Mining Mountain Goat Trommel & Desert Fox Combo Kit

This Camel Mining kit pairs the Mountain Goat trommel with the Desert Fox automatic gold panning machine and the trommel transfer kit that joins them, giving one prospector a continuous wash-and-recover line that runs on a 12-volt battery and five gallons of water. The Mountain Goat's reverse-helix barrel washes and classifies the raw material and pushes the heavies uphill into the Desert Fox's spiral wheel, which finishes the concentrate down to a cup of black sand and gold. It is the setup for working a bucket line at a dry claim or a creek bank where you cannot run a highbanker.

Is this kit the right buy?

Buy the combo if you already know your ground carries gold and your bottleneck is processing: the pair handles about two cubic yards of screened material a day without stopping to clean out, which is the point of a trommel over a sluice. If you are still testing new ground, the Desert Fox on its own at a quarter of the price will finish your pan concentrates and tell you whether the claim deserves the trommel. The Desert Fox in this kit is the single-speed model; if you want the variable-speed drive for very fine gold, ask us before ordering. Neither machine includes a battery; a 12 V deep-cycle battery of around 17 Ah runs both for a full day, and a Camel Mining 12 A power supply replaces it where you have mains power. Browse the rest of the Camel Mining range for spray bars, pumps and spares.

How the Mountain Goat works

The Mountain Goat uses the same reverse-helix principle as commercial placer trommels. A 4-inch barrel with quarter-inch-deep spiral riffles turns against the flow; heavy material climbs the spiral to the high end while light sand and gravel wash out the low end as tailings, and a nugget trap catches anything too large for the spiral. Because the heavies are moved out continuously, there is nothing to clean out between loads. Set it in a mortar tub with five gallons of water and the 750 gph pump recirculates, or stand it in a stream and draw water directly. Screen feed to half an inch for best recovery; rocks to three-quarters of an inch will pass. The transfer kit delivers the Mountain Goat's concentrate straight into the Desert Fox hopper so the wheel finishes it while the trommel keeps running.

Setting up and running the line

Level the trommel so the barrel rises toward the Desert Fox, prime the pump, and feed steadily with a small scoop rather than dumping a bucket; a trommel this size wants a constant trickle. Watch the tailings for gold at first, and slow the feed if you see any color leaving. Clean the Desert Fox cup at the end of the day, not the trommel; that is the labor you are saving. Both machines pack into a truck bed and the Mountain Goat weighs 18 pounds, so one person carries the trommel and pump in and the Desert Fox and battery on a second trip.

What's included

• Camel Mining Mountain Goat trommel with 750 gph 12 V pump, part CM-030
• Camel Mining Desert Fox automatic gold panning machine, single speed, part CM-008
• Camel Mining trommel transfer kit, part CM-033

Not included: 12 V battery or power supply, mortar tub, classifier screens.

Specifications

• Mountain Goat dimensions: 32 x 16 x 24 in
• Mountain Goat weight: 18 lb
• Barrel: 4 in diameter, reverse helix, 1/4 in riffles, built-in nugget trap
• Pump: 750 gallons per hour, 12 V
• Water: 5 gallons minimum for recirculating operation
• Feed size: screen to 1/2 in; passes to 3/4 in
• Capacity: up to 2 cubic yards of screened material per day (manufacturer figure)
• Power: 12 V DC for both machines; battery not included, 17 Ah recommended
• Desert Fox: single-speed automatic spiral panning machine, part CM-008

Why buy from Serious Detecting

Serious Detecting is an authorized Camel Mining dealer, so both machines are genuine and carry Camel Mining's warranty, and we stock the spares, spray bars and pumps that keep them running. Our team has run the Desert Fox on Michigan glacial gravels and can talk you through feed size and water setup before you buy. Orders over $99 ship free, with a 30-day return window and a price-match guarantee. See the rest of our gold wheels and spiral panning machines and all gold prospecting equipment.